Sepultures
by Jet556
Summary: Returning to Wilusa from the Battle of Sengann Fortress, many sepultures occur. Some are with bodies, some are without bodies. For those who knew the dead quite well, it is a time for mourning and celebration and for some a time for thinking about the departed.
1. Immoderate Jocundity to Earnest Dolor

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 **Immoderate Jocundity to Earnest Dolor**

When those who had marched to Sengann Fortress returned Balor was filled with immoderate jocundity. Upon learning that Kernunnos was dead the immoderate jocundity had turned into earnest dolor. Others had died and many others were soon filled with the same earnest dolor.

The dignity at having become Piyamaradu's student and the jocundity at seeing Brigid once more had been washed away by the cold water of dolor. In confusion, Balor wondered how Brigid could have been brought back into his life only for Kernunnos to be removed from it.

Walking along the walls of Wilusa, Balor spoke to Procyon. Surely, Kernunnos was on the floating mountain across the rainbow bridge now.

"He is not here, nor does my sight see him in the pit." Was all that Procyon said.

"Then he is sent down the path of reincarnation?" asked Balor.

"No."

"Then where is he?"

"Somewhere." And with that Balor no longer heard Procyon's voice in his head. He asked again and again and never did Procyon answer him.

This sepulture day was one no different than any other. The funeral games, the singing, the feasting the pyres and yet there were those who were not brought back. There were those who could not be brought back. There were those whose bodies that had been hacked beyond recognition.

And so Balor wondered what Thunderan funerals were like. He only knew of the funeral pyre that the Evabon had in common with them. That much was what Lion-O, Tygra and Cheetara had told him but nothing else. What else were Thunderan funerals like? Were there any more similarities?

 _I vowed my a vow,_

 _And I vowed it to thee,_

 _Far will I travel,_

 _Until thou art free_

Those lyrics, there were from a very old song. Dating back to Wilusa's second chieftain, to the time of his ransom. That much of Wilusa's history Balor knew. What he knew not was who the first Chieftain of Evabon was. All anyone knew was that he had abdicated to go in search of something. Who was he? Thundera knew who their first king was but Thundera was a young nation in comparison to Wilusa and while there were nations older than Wilusa those nations had an even better memory of the identities of their first leaders than Wilusa did.

"Balor!" That voice. It was not Brigid's. It was not Kernunnos' either… There was a great doubt he would ever hear Kernunnos' voice again. It was one of his friends though. It was Kashta, with Chinggis not far behind him.

"What is it, Kashta?"

"Why so crestfallen?" Kastha's black skin was painted with blue paint this day. He put a different war paint on each day, war paint that belonged to his father. The next day it would be yellow, the day after that green… He of course would never use black war paint it would never be seeable.

"Why still playing warrior?" asked Balor.

"Because it gives me an excuse to wear my father's war paint! Now answer my question!"

"I shall mourn Kernunnos in my own way." Balor only turned away from Kastha and Chinggis. Yet they followed him. Listening to him talk. "Try as I wish I have no tears for Kernunnos who was ever my friend and brother even if he was of the same blood as I."

"They will come." Said Chinggis.

"And what if they never do?" asked Balor.

"It takes more than tears to mourn a passing." Replied Chinggis.

"That's enough! I'm tired of this talk!" exclaimed Kashta. "This is a day of funerals! On these days we go to the treasure cave! Are we children or not?"

It was the talk of this treasure cave that caused Balor to turn and face both Chinggis and Kashta. "What treasure cave?"

"A cave with treasure." Was Kashta's reply… It was a simple reply, an obvious reply. It was Kashta's reply.

"Tis merely a place we children of Wilusa go to on days like this." Stated Chinggis. "It is a tradition. A very old one! You are new to Wilusa, same as Brigid and thus you don't know a lot about what goes on here."

"What do we do at the treasure cave?" asked Balor.

"We do not know." Was all Kashta could say.

"The original reason for going there on sepulture days is lost..." stated Chinggis.

"I'm starting to think many things are lost here in Wilusa." And with that Balor continued walking. He did not listen to Kashta or Chinggis. He merely thought about what he did not know.


	2. The Veil

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 **The Veil**

Kernunnos had been a dear friend to Brigid. She had been hurt to hear of his death at the Battle of Sengann Fortress. He had died fighting to save her. So it was that in Henti's home, Brigid sat alone. Her friends Borte and Pebatjma had tried to comfort her, Zuvowang had tried, Henti had tried, even Ekoto and Alaksandu in their absurdity tried but she would have no comfort from anyone until she had recovered on her own.

In her hands was a veil. It was green in color, made to cover her hair. It was something that Evabon women and girls did. They either chose the braids or the veil but Brigid was to have both. She had one braid among her locks of hair for fashion reasons. The veil was for a completely different reason. She would wear the veil till the day she died or Kernunnos come back to them here in Wilusa. And that day would come but not until Balor was Chieftain of Evabon and known as Balor of the Isles.

So it was that Brigid donned the veil!

Standing up from the stool she had been sitting upon, Brigid ventured forth into Wilusa. No one looked at her. She was just another girl wearing a veil.

She walked past Pwyll, people still congratulating him for defending Piyamaradu against the conspirators. If not for him, they would be mourning one more. Had Mumm-Ra's strike been fatal there would have be two more funeral pyres. Had he killed Balor there would have been three more.

She walked past Llud and Arnuwanda discussing becoming more active in the lives of their families. Llud had always been for being active in lives of the Gardites. For Arnuwanda it took Kernunnos's death to consider getting more active in the lives of his fellow Dalvings.

She walked past a carving being made. This carving was of the Battle of Sengann Fortress. She and Henti could be seen in windows. The Wilusans fighting against the Labinnac horde were before Sengann, with the Wilusans on the left and the Labinnac on the right. Donalbain, Orsino and Jaques could be seen from the walls of Sengann with arms outstretched and weapons in hand. It would be a beautiful carving for sure but Brigid would not look upon it till she was ready to.

Seeing Balor walking upon the walls of Wilusa with Kashta and Chinggis following him, she went up to him. Kashta and Chinggis spoke to Balor about a great many things.

"Come now, Balor, lets at these do something!" said Kashta. "First funeral here and we are not going to the treasure cave!"

"Well, to be fair the cave has one skeleton in it already, Kashta. You being there would just cause jokes to be made." Commented Chinggis.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You look like a walking cadaver and your face is like a braincase! It's a wonder you weren't thrown on a funeral pyre!"

"This coming from the boy who was born without lips!"

"Now wait a minute here!" objected Chinggis. "Because of my lack of lips, I've always got a happy look on my face!"

"Happy? Happy! You look creepy!"

"You're one to talk!"

This was what Balor was getting for being friends with fellow disfigured children. They ended up arguing on the funeral days where the children went to the treasure cave where there was a skeleton out in the open. A hunchback with a slight curve in his spine instead of a huge hump a walking cadaver and a boy with no lips. They were quite the trio.

Sighing, Balor turned to look at Kashta and Chinggis. "Brothers, and I do not mean that in way that I think of us as such, please leave me alone. I want to be alone. Any other funeral day maybe we could all be at the treasure cave doing whatever it is we do but one of the people who died at Sengann was a friend of mine. So I'm asking you kindly to leave me alone."

"Want us to get you something to read?" asked Kashta. "I've got a very gripping epic about Procyon's battle at Eimor."

"No! Get out of here!" And with that, Kashta and Chinggis both turned around and paused when they saw Brigid.

"Who is that?" asked Chinggis.

"It's Brigid, you idiot!" sighed Kashta. "She's wearing a veil. One of our veils not the kind that covers the entire face like what the Thunderans use."

"Go!" exclaimed Balor, at this point very much sick of their bickering. And go they did, somewhere else, presumably to the treasure cave. Now alone, Balor and Brigid just stood there staring at each other. Ultimately, it was Balor who spoke. "Why the veil?"

And so Brigid explained.


	3. Memories of the Departed

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 **Memories of the Departed**

Around a fire sat Gard, Zuvowang and Dalv. Talking about Kernunnos, Gard ultimately came to what Dalv was going to do.

"Look at Brigid over yonder." Said Gard, pointing to the eight-year old girl with the veil now upon her head. "She now wears a veil. When my grandfather was accidentally killed by my brother Procyon I made a sword."

"Accidentally?" asked Zuvowang.

"As you know, Procyon suffered from a bloodlust curse. He was under such a bloodlust when he killed our grandfather. Didn't realize that was who he killed until it had well passed." Gard sighed. "I didn't get around to making the sword until I was forty-nine."

"How old were your grandfather was killed?"

"Nine. It was an impressive sword my wife helped me make it. Just wish I had chosen a stronger metal, I still have it but it is broken now."

"That's terrific, Gard." Commented Dalv. "I'll just write a poem about Kernunnos using my memories of him."

"Any certain memories coming to mind now?" asked Gard.

"Just the one where he locked himself inside a cage meant for a circus beast." Dalv shook his head. "It was embarrassing. Amusing but embarrassing."

"Great, now I'm thinking of the time my grandfather cut his fingers off when cutting meat." Gard brought his hand to his face. "What have you done?"

"All I can think of is when my sons by my first marriage were pelting livestock with fruit." Zuvowang gave a sigh. "Granted, that should have been one of the signs that my first wife would try to have them kill me."

A moment of silence passed between the three. It was broken by a spear flying past Gard's head… it entered a haystack.

Shaking his head, Gard commented on it. "Whoever threw that better stick to close range weaponry!"

There was then a cry of "Sorry!" The owner of the voice was Arnuwanda. The result was Dalv sighing. He'd talk to him, later. It only caused Dalv to wonder just how Kernunnos could have been a better spear thrower.

"Well…" said Zuvowang, looking at the haystack. "I salute the victorious dead and bid you all a good night."

"As do I!" added Gard.

"I do not think I shall be able to sleep tonight." Said Dalv, thinking too much of his departed Kernunnos. There was Arnuwanda true and many another Dalving but Kernunnos' death had very much affected him. Yet sleep Dalv did, for sleep is important and with many of his descendants nearby he was never far from family and he was never far from friends, who were also mourning Kernunnos.

As for Balor and Brigid, they both sat upon the wall of Wilusa looking up at the moons. They couldn't believe that Kernunnos was gone and yet he was. For Balor, who had recently become Piyamaradu's student he had been so proud only for the pride to be washed away by a feeling of sorrow. For Brigid, who had been freed from imprisonment the joy she felt had been washed away by the feeling of sorrow.

And yet still Balor wondered where Kernunnos was now. Procyon only said that he was somewhere so Balor wondered whether or not Kernunnos was now a wandering sprit.

Yet Brigid did not think of where Kernunnos was now. She only wondered about the location of the ThunderCats. Did they still live or had they followed Kernunnos down the same path or vice versa? Where were they?

The thoughts of were friends were was on the minds of both. Where were they? Where were they not?

What was next was another question. What would come next? What would there be in Wilusa after this day of sepultures?

An espousal day would come three days after. The espousal of Bethad and Henti! Or as they said in the less archaic tongues: nuptials.

 **The End**


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